George de Rue Meiklejohn (; August 26, 1857 – April 19, 1929) was an American politician who served as the fifth

lieutenant governor of Nebraska The lieutenant governor of Nebraska is the highest-ranking executive official in the State of Nebraska after the Governor of Nebraska, governor. According to the Constitution of Nebraska, Nebraska State Constitution, in the event a governor dies, ...

under Governor

John Milton Thayer John Milton Thayer (January 24, 1820March 19, 1906) was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum United States Senator from Nebraska. Thayer served as Governor of Wyoming Territory and Governor of Nebraska. T ...

and a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for Nebraska. He was the

United States Assistant Secretary of War The United States Assistant Secretary of War was the second–ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to thMilitary Laws of the United States "The act of August ...

from 1897 to 1901.

Early life and education

de Rue Meiklejohn was born in

Weyauwega, Wisconsin Weyauwega is a city in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,900 at the 2010 census. The city is located mostly within the Town of Weyauwega, though it is politically independent of the town. Small portions extend nor ...

, on August 26, 1857. He went to the state

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

(now

University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (UW Oshkosh or UW Osh) is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs to nearly 14,000 students ea ...

Career

He became a principal of high schools in Weyauwega and

Liscomb, Iowa Liscomb is a city in Marshall County, Iowa, United States. The population was 291 at the time of the 2020 census. History Liscomb was platted in 1869. It was named for an official of the Iowa Central Railroad. Geography Liscomb is located at ( ...

. After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

, in 1880, he was admitted to the bar and established a practice in

Fullerton, Nebraska Fullerton is a city in, and the county seat of, Nance County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,307 as of the 2010 Census. History A location by Fullerton called "Buffalo Leap" was thought to be used by aboriginals for driving buff ...

. He was the prosecuting attorney for Nance County, Nebraska, from 1881 to 1884. In 1884 Meiklejohn was elected a member of the Nebraska Legislature, serving from 1884 to 1888. In 1886, he became president of the Senate, in 1887 the chairman of the Republican State convention, and in 1887 and 1888 chairman of the Republican State central committee. In 1889 he became the Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska and served until 1891. He was elected as a Republican to the 53rd and 54th Congresses (March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897), but did not run for re-election in 1896. On April 14, 1897, U.S. President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

appointed him the Assistant Secretary of War and he served through the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

until March 1901. Meiklejohn ran unsuccessfully for election to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

from Nebraska in 1901 to fill the seat of

Monroe Hayward Monroe Leland Hayward (December 22, 1840December 5, 1899) was a politician from Nebraska. He was elected to become a Senator of Nebraska in 1899, dying before taking the oath of office. Life and career Hayward was born in Willsboro, New York. He ...

. After that, he resumed his law practice in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, moving to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, in 1918, where he practiced law and mining.

Personal life

He died in poverty at the Los Angeles County General Hospital in

, on April 19, 1929. He was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

References

Further reading